


Harry Potter and the Owl of Wisdom

by Fiobri



Series: Eternal Cycle [9]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Familiars, Friendship, Gen, Reincarnation, Self-Insert, Wandless Magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:01:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23154487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fiobri/pseuds/Fiobri
Summary: When Harry first got Hedwig he thought he'd be the one taking care of her needs. He couldn't have gotten it more backwards if he tried.Hedwig just thought it interesting to be an owl for once and happy to be able to help her once kinda little brother in yet another lifetime.Cycle 1 376. Trick Cycle, Harry Potter.
Relationships: Hedwig & Harry Potter
Series: Eternal Cycle [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1314257
Comments: 15
Kudos: 189
Collections: Harry Potter





	1. Best Birthday Present Ever

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I've had this start thingy written for a while now, along with multiple other Cycle starts, and decided now would be the time to maybe start pushing them out. The only reason I've held off on it is because they all won't ever be completed. 
> 
> Actually, most of them won't ever be completed and I decided to just give people what I do have right now. Then after that update the ones that interest me the most.

The snowy owl’s yellow amber eyes stared straight into Harry's as he stood in front of her cage, jaw slack with awe. 

“Yeh like 'er?”, Hagrid asked with slight amusement in his eyes and plucked the cage gently off its hook. 

Harry nodded mutely as he stuttered a thank you for the best birthday present in his life. It was the best day of his life too if he was honest. His -  _ his! _ \- new owl was still watching him with those curious and intelligent eyes when he lifted her cage into his arms and walked after the gigantic man with messy beard and hair. 

He looked down at her, smiling so widely he thought his face would split in two, and swore there was the same happy look in his new pet's eyes. 

“I'll take good care of you. Promise!”, he told the owl who tilted her head like she understood what he said. 

Little did he know just how backwards that statement would turn out to be. 

xXXx

Harry stared at the ceiling of his new room in Private Drive and wondered if the day had been just an incredible dream. His birthday had never been so amazing and fun. But then he'd turn his head and see his new owl's cage and it's drowsy occupant and he'd get this funny glowy feeling in his stomach. 

It was real. He was going to go to a school of magic. Wizards and witches. A whole new _world_ he could explore and be with his _own_ kind. 

He wouldn’t be the freak anymore. He wouldn’t have to suffer through endless chores and unfair punishments in this household again. Only a month and he'd be free. Only a month and he would get to see the world he belonged to. 

His stomach churned with nerves. He was famous there. Harry had yet to draw an opinion of that but even if it was scary he knew it wouldn't stop him from feeling giddy. 

Once again glancing at his owl he contently closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. 

He should come up with a good name. 

xXXx

Uncle Vernon finally allowed his owl to get out of her cage what with all the ruckus she had thrown up when they didn't. Harry was glad. It wouldn't be fun to get confided in a cage for so long. It had been two days since his trip to Diagon Alley and his life had gotten somewhat better. His Aunt and Uncle were furious but afraid of him and thus pretended he didn't exist. Dudley was outright terrified and still had a pig's tail. 

He had decided to call his owl Hedwig. It was in one of his school books that he'd been reading through. The history one. She liked it and had nuzzled his cheek after that. He already loved her. 

She was an odd owl, not that Harry minded. In fact, he found her more lovable that way. 

She mostly slept when the boy slept and kept him company when he was awake. Or went to hunt for food but didn't bring it back like owls were supposedly wont to do. No, she brought more interesting things like abandoned objects (a nice pencil, a book, some trinkets, a notebook, dropped coins, a brown jacket about Harry's size, nice toys, more trinkets, chocolate frog cards, etcetera, etcetera) or plants that could be used in potions or some other such. Sometimes she brought unspoiled human food if she found it. Usually it was candy. 

Hedwig’s favorite perch was on his shoulder. She groomed his messy locks and nipped at his ear. It felt… nice. She also found his books as amazing as he did, going through them with him and hooting when she read something interesting, dropping the book on his lap so he could read it too. 

Harry had to admit that he found the passages useful in understanding a little more about the subjects and the world he was going to. In reward he usually pet her feathers. Not that he didn’t do it already. They were soft and white and he liked the feeling. He hoped it would give her the same warmth that he felt when the owl showed her affections. 

xXXx

“Hedwig?”, Harry asked one afternoon. 

The Dursleys were ignoring him and the owl was pretty much his only companion. She looked up from the book she'd been reading and tilted her head in question. 

“Are all other owls as smart as you?” 

She snorted (odd sound from an owl) and ruffled her feathers in a no. Harry had gotten pretty good at reading her body language. At least he  _ thought _ so. 

“Oh”, he stayed quiet for a moment as he traced his book's pages. 

It was the potions book and he found it the most interesting. Probably because Hedwig kept bringing him ingredients. Most of them could be found in it but some were complete mysteries. He’d stored them into a plastic lunch box his owl had brought. It was divided in six sections so they could be kept separate. He shook the thoughts off to work up his courage. 

“Um… I know you can  _ read _ but… can you write?”, he asked hopefully but remembered that she probably couldn’t hold a pencil or pen at all. 

A beak and talons were useful for many things but not that. He just… He  _ hoped _ . 

Hedwig, as always, surprised him by staring with those beautiful amber eyes before hopping to the ground and focusing on the quill he had left on the floor. It twitched. Then it shakily rose up and Harry watched with wide, delighted eyes. He scrambled for a paper and the ink bottle before dropping on his knees next to her, putting both in front of the floating quill. 

It less than gracefully dipped down into ink and floated over the paper, only one black drop dropping before she wrote shaky letters. 

‘Apparently’, it read and Harry tried not to laugh. Then she drew a disfigured smiley face and he had to muffle one so the Dursleys didn’t hear. 

His owl could  _ write _ . They could communicate better! 

xXXx

“Only two weeks”, Harry muttered as he crossed another day from the slip of paper he'd taped to the wall. 

By now they had all but finished the school books between themselves and quizzed each other over them with paper, quill, and ink. It was a fun game they invented because boredom. Besides, the boy had to learn how to write better with a  _ quill _ and  _ ink _ . Harry's enthusiasm for learning returned slowly but surely. He had almost forgotten he had it with the Dursleys all but ordering him to not do well. Hedwig had been encouraging him to learn. It was good too, because he found that learning things with his owl was the most fun he had had in his life. 

His first friend was an owl. 

He didn’t really mind. At all. Hedwig was  _ amazing _ . 

The owl understood him well. Truly understood and accepted. She had a patient personality and would fuss over him when he felt sad. She found him actual food when he was hungry and took care of him. Funny when he had promised to care for  _ her _ . Also, she could float smaller objects around and had demonstrated with a small transfiguration of a matchstick to a needle that you didn’t really  _ need _ the wand to learn things. Sure, it made things much easier, but people could learn without.  _ Harry _ would be able to learn without. 

It was beyond cool to think that it was possible. Hedwig even told him that there was a school in Africa that didn’t use wands at all. Even if they thought it was a great tool for summoning power quickly. 

His owl knew a  _ lot _ about the magical world and all Harry had to do was ask or mention something and he would have an answer. If she  _ didn’t _ know something (which had only happened thrice) she gave a speculating answer anyway or wrote a ‘wait for a bit’ and came back with one. A treasure trove of knowledge. That’s what she was. 

And his dear friend. 

Who seemed to be staring at him with a contemplative gaze. 

“…Hedwig?”, he asked nervously. 

The owl tilted her head and flew over to him with some paper and the quill. There were filled papers  _ stacked _ in his room and Hedwig had had to go out to find more. Or then she duplicated them. His ink bottle was severely depleted. Until Hedwig cast a spell that refilled it. 

Magic was amazing. 

She turned to him and wrote with neat script he had tried to copy more than once. While his handwriting had gotten better, it wasn’t _nearly_ as refined as the owl’s now that she got the hand on ‘wandless locomotor’ as she’d put it. 

‘Would you like me to be your familiar?’, she asked. 

Harry blinked, “What’s a familiar?” 

‘Animal companion who usually always stays by their master’s side’, she told him, ‘It means I could join your classes and share some of my abilities once the bond is old enough’ 

The boy felt his mouth go dry with the implications. She wanted to stay by his side. Always. Someone by his side  _ always _ . Never alone anymore. He… wanted that. Maybe more than anything he’d ever wanted before. So he nodded, throat constricting and preventing him from forming coherent sentences. Her eyes were smiling and he felt like she… sparkled. There were no other words for it. 

She wrote again. 

‘You have to learn to move your magic around before it’s possible. It shouldn’t take long now. You’ve already felt it’ 

He nodded and immediately went to his lumpy bed to start meditating. This time it was with renewed vigor. Hedwig perched herself on top of his head and helped by letting her magic guide him. Just like always since he said he wanted to learn to do things wandlessly too. It had taken him twenty minutes to start recognizing the owl’s magic and two days to feel its movements. 

This was the fifth day. 

And it was getting easier and easier to slip into a meditative state of mind. He concentrated on Hedwig’s magic that comfortingly led him deeper and nudged at him gently. Then she slowly pulled away and wrapped it around him instead of inside and then he could start searching for the warm  _ feeling-power-energy _ he had found just yesterday. After two hours of meditating. 

Hedwig had told him not to rush things and first to only concentrate on recognizing it and what it was doing before even attempting to move it. That might have disastrous consequences. It was a part of him, like a limb, and it would have to become familiar before he accidentally set himself on fire or something equally disturbing. 

‘First learn to recognize and feel it, like an extension of your will, and after you can feel that in less than a minute you can try to slowly direct it to different places of your body’, he recalled the instructions. 

This time he found it much faster. It still felt warm and twisting and like…  _ him _ . But it wasn’t something he could feel as  _ his _ to control yet and it was  _ everywhere _ inside him so he couldn’t try to even twitch it yet. His magic was reacting more to his emotions and thoughts than clear direction now. And he would stop feeling it once he stopped meditating. According to Hedwig he’d be ready to try spells once he could feel it at the drop of a hat. That he could slowly master his magic once he could feel and direct it  _ always _ . 

He breathed deeply. This would take a while. 

xXXx

He found that he liked reading. The book Hedwig had dropped off about a week in,  _ Lord of the Rings _ by J. R. R. Tolkien, was his favorite so far. It actually had three books and a prequel (Hedwig explained what that was) called  _ The Hobbit _ but she had found an edition with all of them stacked together and he  _ loved _ the story. Frodo was so brave… He wished he could be like that. 

Of course, Hedwig told him that he  _ was _ brave. After all, he could stand up to himself even when his relatives treated him so horribly all his childhood. He had confided in her once she had offered to be his familiar. It was easy to talk to her. Perhaps a part of that was that she was an animal, if a scarily intelligent one. He wasn’t sure he believed her though. Bravery… it was so… strange a concept. 

What  _ was _ bravery? 

He asked his trusty owl. Amber eyes softened and pretty letters filled a parchment. 

‘Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death’, she told him in a quote by someone called Omar N. Bradley before continuing on her own, ’It’s strength in the face of pain or grief, and the ability to react in a dangerous or hard situation’ 

That fit Frodo rather well. He felt a smile spreading on his lips. It… fit him too. Somewhat. At least a little. Hedwig was right. As always. Her eyes sparkled like every time she found something amusing. Another quote was thrown in and he had to laugh again. He hadn’t laughed this much in…  _ ever _ really. Hedwig could always make him laugh and he was a little amazed by that. 

‘Courage is found in unlikely places. By: J. R. R. Tolkien’ 

He was in high spirits. Only a week and five days until they took off towards Hogwarts. 

It was just… How was he supposed to get to London? 

xXXx

There were only three days left until September 1st when Hedwig finally gave him the okay to nudge his magic. He closed his eyes for scant thirty seconds (it had been an  _ hour _ a week ago) before he was fully immersed in the feel of it. Carefully, slowly, he started…  _ directing _ it’s flow from the center of his chest towards his stomach to his right leg. It worked. In fact it felt…  _ easy _ . 

His stomach did a little flip and his concentration wavered, magic flowing back towards his chest in that moment. It took some seconds to get it back under control again. 

But he could do it!  _ He could do it! _

It flowed like a river, vast and powerful and entirely  _ his _ to move as he pleased. That was… satisfying. And scary. Terrifying. What could he  _ do _ with this? Something amazing? Or something horrible? Hedwig would help him. He knew that and it immediately set him at ease. So what if he felt powerful, this feeling was also warm and gave him a sense of peace. If he held on to that peace… he could be happy for once. He could make  _ others _ happy with this power too. Harry knew it. 

He longed to be like that. A person who could help others, help people who would actually be  _ grateful _ for it. A person who was  _ accepted _ by others. Hedwig had already accepted him. Surely others, wizards, could too? 

The magic moved, sometimes jumping and swirling wildly, but he was in control this time. He could direct it, move it. It had always been a part of him. But this time, it was a part of his conscious will as well. He let it move back to his chest again, feeling warm and liberated like when he stretched out after waking up. Like all of him relaxing after a pleasant but strenuous day. 

Harry opened his eyes a wide grin across his face and cheeks flushed with happy success. 

“I did it, Hedwig! I really  _ did it! _ ” 

The owl looked satisfied and ruffled her feathers smugly,  _ proudly _ . She was  _ proud _ of him. A sudden flood of affection flashed through him and he laughed, reaching out to gently pull his friend in a very loose hug while very careful not to hurt her.  _ His _ cheeks hurt, he was smiling so widely. 

A thick notebook floated up. The one they had been using for communication in the past six days. With a flourish, a black pen Hedwig had found along with it circled a pre-written sentence. 

‘We can do the ritual tomorrow’, and after that the details for said ritual and the end results it was supposed to have. 

Harry had thought it impossible to grin wider but was, once again, proved wrong. 

xXXx

Hedwig, or her-as-Hedwig, worked in her mindscape with Rina right next to her. It was a pretty recent  _ big _ skill and worked in…  _ most _ dimensions. The thing was a work in progress. They had decided that it would be a house or castle inside an actual giant tree that would open up to a wild forest. Their mental defences were designed to disorient and keep out even the Mangekyou Sharingan, Yamanaka Inoichi, alien telepathy, and Charles Xavier so there was no way more inexperienced people were getting in. 

But the mindscape itself was a work in progress and for now they only had built the tree and the massive hall-like inside. A draft of a memory and record room was already there, locked behind even more security measures. After all, they had learned there was always  _ someone  _ more skilled or able to surprise them. 

In the mindscape was also the best place to bask in the young familiar bond she had formed with Harry. It was  _ warm _ and soft and shone like the sun. The other side also felt like a calm sea. Like a calm before the storm. A storm of nervous energy that would erupt the moment things started going wrong again. 

They wanted to make sure that wouldn’t happen. At least not disastrously. 

“So”, she said conversionally, “What do you think?” 

She looked like a little girl. A four-year-old to be exact. Her hair was chin-length and Luna-blonde but whiter and had wispy ends, skin was milky white light pink, lips had a red tint, and her clothes amounted to a simple white dress with black smudges and a wide sleeved silvery gray cloak over it. Looked like a witch’s robes really. Which was the wanted effect. Her eyes stayed the same golden amber, though a touch darker and more natural looking for a human. 

Rina who  _ still _ looked like Sakura, representing the girl she had become and hoped to always be, looked her over thoughtfully and nodded. 

As an owl she weighed just about 2 kg and was 55 cm in height. It wasn't  _ that _ much of a stretch to add the 14 kg and 40 cm of an average 4-year-old. Of course, she would reduce baby fat with about three kg and add about two kg of muscle mass so her overall weight would be 15. Her height… maybe she could just add 35? So then the totals would be 15 kg and 90 cm. 

It was freaking  _ hard _ to make yourself a  _ human _ form even if she had been an animagus once or twice. At least animagi made themselves  _ smaller _ . Usually. And even then it wasn’t the same as making oneself a human form because you didn’t  _ choose _ your soul animal. 

But she wanted a human form. It would be useful. And if she could use henge? Even better. The ability to be human was  _ always _ useful. 

Rina was looking at her like  _ that _ again. 

Okay, fine. This was just (mostly) an excuse to be human and cuddle their surrogate brother from Cycle number two  _ properly _ . Who could blame her? She wanted to kick out that awkwardness and minute tensing whenever he was touched in a non-hurtful way by another human being. 

Also, while it was an interesting thing to be an  _ owl _ for once… 

…she just  _ missed _ fingers, sheesh! 

xXXx


	2. Making Friends

The car ride to London on September 1st was awkward and almost silent. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon sometimes talked but it was mostly about directions or to talk to dear Duddikins who was getting the pig tail removed. Hedwig was sitting in Harry’s lap as the raven haired boy pet her, looking out the window and body very tense with wariness and excitement. 

He was wearing the brown jacket and sweatpants Hedwig had gotten her that fit  _ much _ better than Dudley’s anything. Especially the black and white sneakers. He hadn’t known footwear could be so comfortable. The owl hadn’t found a good shirt though. Harry didn’t really mind. He would be wearing robes most of the time at Hogwarts after all. 

Uncle Vernon had laughed himself silly after he dropped the two off at Kings Cross between platform 9 and 10. Harry neglected to mention that he already knew how to get to the right place from there. He just thanked them for giving him a ride, though he didn’t think it would be appreciated. Vernon sneered at him so he felt he was right to think that. Hedwig was easily perched on his shoulder when they walked through the brick wall at 10:30. 

The platform they stepped onto was filled with people even though there was still half an hour until the train left. The train itself was red and old looking. Harry felt himself stare in awe at it for all of ten seconds before becoming distracted by the wizarding population instead. He watched as families said goodbyes, helped put their children's trunks on the train, friends talked about this and that, some older students were hugging each other… 

It was overwhelmingly normal if it weren’t for the robes, pets, wands, and many other strictly Wizarding World things. He looked at them all with an awed look on his face and felt a pang of jealousy. The boy still remembered the history book where his name had been mentioned, along with his parents’ names. The information about  _ him _ had been mostly wrong. His parents’ deaths had just been mentioned as heroes who protected their ‘savior’. 

Harry still wasn’t sure what to make of his newfound fame and had resolutely pulled his bangs over his scar just that morning. Hedwig managed to make them stay put there with pure magical intent. 

The smallish boy pushed his trolley towards the place where everyone seemed to put their trunks and started lifting it in… only to pause as he realized how  _ heavy _ it was. He glanced at Hedwig with a slightly alarmed look. There was no way he’d be able to lift this thing. His owl gently nipped at his earlobe before amber eyes flashed and a wing nudged at him to try again. 

He wasn’t really prepared for how  _ light _ the trunk was  _ now _ and almost fell over backwards. Then Harry laughed because magic was  _ amazing _ . After that it didn’t take long at all for his things to be in and his bag over his shoulder with some books, money, and their mostly empty conversation diary. Also an apple and an orange with a bottle of water. Just in case. 

Then it was only a matter of finding a compartment. 

xXXx

Harry found one that was empty after awkwardly trudging through the gaggles of older students and dodging rushing him-sized children. Probably first years too. It was… slightly scary. He set his bag down on the seat and wondered what he should do now. Hedwig tugged at his black hair to gain his attention and pointed a wing towards the window. He obeyed the suggestion and looked out towards the families. Hedwig seemed to peer around contemplatively before seeming to find what she was looking for. 

She hooted excitedly and this time lifted a talon to point better. In the sea of students and families Harry had a hard time seeing what she wanted him to but then the insistent talon started following something and he saw a girl with bushy hair walk towards the train with what he presumed were her parents. He was confused. What was special about her? She seemed to be talking excitedly and had a book in her arms as who was probably her father pushed her trolley towards the train. 

"I… see her?", he said, confused. 

Hedwig flew on his bag to get the diary they kept for conversation and wrote, Harry moving to sit beside her. 

_ 'She loves books' _ , the owl wrote,  _ 'I think you would have a lot to talk about' _

Oh. His owl wanted him to make  _ friends _ with her. The idea instantly made his stomach churn with nerves. There hadn't been much luck with that in the past. Not much luck at all. But Hedwig hadn't steered him wrong yet… Wait. 

"How do you  _ know _ she loves books?", he asked suspiciously. 

_ 'I flew to her window a few times. She's always reading and let me come in her room. And she gave me treats' _ , Hedwig told him. 

Harry's eyebrows rose at that. She'd told him about some of her exploration trips and what kind of people she saw but this was the first time she didn't mention someone she'd interacted with. It made a pang of jealousy wash through him. Hedwig was  _ his _ owl.  _ His _ familiar. The owl shifted to a new line. 

_ 'Harry, I think she's lonely' _ , and the jealousy receded. 

He  _ knew _ what Hedwig was like and what loneliness was like and wouldn't wish it for anyone. His lips pressed together he reminded himself the owl thought he was  _ brave _ and  _ bravery _ was the ability to act in a tough situation. In spite of nervousness. He could do this. He  _ could _ . 

"I'll try to talk to her", he promised. 

Hedwig set the writing utensils back into the bag neatly before hopping onto his offered hand, climbing to his shoulder while he picked the bag up and looked out the window. The girl was just getting on the train now. He needed to hurry. After one longing look at the empty compartment he rushed to the hall and took brisk steps towards where she was. 

He made it just as the girl got her things on board and opened the door to the aisle. His steps froze for a moment as he hesitated for just a second. Hedwig's wing brushed against his ear and he took a deep breath to step out from behind two talking older students. The girl's eyes brushed over him before she turned back and stared straight at the owl sitting on his shoulder, incredulous. 

Any words Harry would've thought to say were now stuck in his throat as the girl just… stared. 

"S- Snowy?", she asked and Hedwig hooted in greeting. 

The girl's eyes drifted to him with still wide eyes. Now Harry felt he should say something. 

"Er… She's called Hedwig", the boy started, fumbling for more words, "And- you gave her treats?" 

"O- Oh. I- I never knew, I'm sorry. She started showing up at my window and started knocking so I let her in and- and-", the girl babbled looking between them, exceedingly nervous, which had the strange effect of making Harry relax, "...Um. Hedwig is a very pretty and smart owl. Is she yours?" 

He smiled at the question, answering with pride, "Hedwig is my familiar. She likes to fly around when I sleep. I think she took a liking to you, though, if she kept returning" 

"Oh", she slowly relaxed too, "I like her too. She seems to really understand, you know? I read to her sometimes", and then she blushed as if she'd unintentionally revealed an embarrassing secret. 

Harry beamed now, "She's  _ really _ smart. She can actually read  _ and _ write!" 

"Really!?", the girl seemed very excited now, looking at Hedwig with new eyes, "Amazing. I suspected she was a magical owl but no books said anything about  _ this _ kind of intelligence!" 

"So you  _ do _ like books! Hedwig told me", Harry was happy to have that confirmed, "Have you read Lord of the Rings?" 

"Have I  _ read _ Lord of the Rings? Only a few dozen times! It's  _ so  _ inspiring to think we're now going to learn  _ real _ magic!", the girl gushed and right then he felt he could actually manage to befriend someone. 

"Right!?", he agreed instantly and was about to continue when Hedwig tugged at his hair in slight reprimand, making him look to her in confusion before he realized, "Oh. Um. I'm Harry", he stuck out his hand. 

She grinned, freckles and slightly squirrel-like front teeth showing as she took his hand firmly, "I'm Hermione. Pleasure to meet you, Harry" 

"Y- You too!", he stuttered slightly as he thought about how to ask his next question, "So. Hermione. Would you like to, erm, find a compartment together?" 

Now it was her turn to beam at him, "I'd love to!" 

Harry was so _ so _ glad he'd listened to Hedwig. The two first years went about their way to finding a compartment while chatting easily about Lord of the Rings and school and owls, feeling like they'd finally found someone who  _ understood _ . 

xXXx

As they talked Harry started to notice his probably friend had a very strong trust in books. She quoted people and things easily and seemed to take them as facts. The same trust extended to her teachers and parents, which Harry wasn't sure he liked. He didn't feel like the teachers had done much for him. Maybe it was different now that he was in a  _ magical _ school, though. 

The train started moving and Hermione waved to her parents out the window. Harry felt another surge of longing rise up as she watched them wave back, looking pleased that she was pleased. He distracted himself by dragging Hermione into new discussion about another school book. Potions this time. He kind of wished he could've shown her the six batches of ingredients Hedwig had brought him. 

They talked about how it would be useful to have an analysis on what ingredients did what generally, not just the recipes of potions. Harry turned to Hedwig for an answer on whether there was one or not. She gave them a list of promising books in answer but told them she'd find out more on her own or compile it herself if needed. 

Hermione seemed to be falling in love with Hedwig and Harry was perhaps a bit too proud of the owl. 

At some point someone shyly stuck their head in the compartment and stuttered a near unintelligible question about a missing toad. Harry was sympathetic as he told the boy he hadn't seen one. Hermione hadn't either. She looked to Harry, biting her lip slightly like he wondered whether or not she should ask something. 

The owl on Harry's shoulder hooted and gently nipped his ear, then tilted her head towards the blond boy. 

Harry looked to Hermione in sudden understanding and slight warmth, "Um… We could help look, if you want?" 

Hermione's eyes lit up with relief as she nodded in agreement. 

"R- Really?", the boy asked, "I- I mean. Thank you. H- His name is, I mean the toad is- is Trevor" 

Harry stood up and smiled slightly as they took off into the now empty aisle. He then got to see another side to Hermione who could be meek when she thought she was in the wrong. This side of her was bossy and headstrong, taking over the talking for the two boys and opening doors to ask people if they'd seen a toad. At times she said things Harry kind of balked at. 

It was slightly nerve wracking for Harry, who was  _ not _ used to standing out too much, and the boy who'd introduced himself as Neville, as he was very shy. Hedwig floated a slip of paper for him that explained it was most likely born from the nervousness of talking to new people. Same as him being more reserved. He'd escaped the bossy babble because she was on unfamiliar but comfortable ground with Hedwig being  _ his _ familiar. Something he was grateful for. 

The slip of paper, however, gave a new idea for a place they could look into. The bathrooms. Or the places near them. 

They went there next, Hermione leading with Harry while Neville hurried on after them. He tried to think of things to talk about and ended up asking about the toad, which was actually a good thing as they got a better idea of its disappearing habit. As well as of Neville himself. He was a stuttering mess most of the time but seemed to be relaxing the more they talked. 

Then the trio got to the compartments near the bathrooms and Hermione reached out to open one only for it to be flung open. A redhead nearly crashed into her as he tried to storm out, tripping over himself instead and bumping into Harry. 

Hedwig threw her wings out to help him gain his balance back as he wobbled. 

The redhead was blushing a deep red nearly the shade of his hair, "Sorry!" 

And then he was about to continue hurrying away. Hermione stopped him with a call. 

"Wait!", the boy stopped and peeked over his shoulder with a miffed and embarrassed expression, "Did you see a toad in there? Neville here has lost one" 

A scowl found its way on the redhead as the blush receded in his anger, "Not a toad. There's a  _ giant spider _ " 

"Aww, Ronniekins. It's not that big", a voice called from inside the compartment that's door opened once again to reveal another redhead. 

A twin head joined it, both wearing mischievous faces, "Or are you-", the other picked up where the first one left off, "-just that short?" 

'Ronniekins' whirled around to glare at whom were definitely his older brothers, "Leave me alone, you jerks! You didn't tell me Lee has a  _ tarantula! _ " 

Hermione frowned at that. Harry felt slightly offended on the younger brother's behalf. Neville seemed to shrink on himself, probably feeling very out of place. This time it wasn't Hermione but  _ Hedwig _ that got them in control of the situation. 

She let out a hoot. 

All of the redheads turned to her and they lit up with surprised recognition, " _ You!? _ " 

Harry turned to his owl, wide eyed. How many people had she visited!? Or, was  _ this _ the family she kept telling him about? 

"Are you Weasleys?", he asked out loud before he could stop himself. 

"Uh. Yeah", the youngest present replied, calming down but still somewhat shocked, "Why?" 

"Oh. Well, Hedwig…", Harry trailed off as he gestured to his owl. 

"The snowy owl is Harry's familiar. She's extremely smart and visits people she likes", Hermione came to his rescue, visibly more curious than disapproving of the redheads now. 

"Gorgeous lady, wouldn't you say so, Fred" 

"She  _ is  _ quite the charming princess, George" 

The twins were now leaning in towards the white owl who seemed amused and exasperated. Though Harry was probably the only one who could tell. 

"And  _ you _ must be-", the one identified as George pointed to Harry. 

"-her loyal steed", finished the other, before they chorused, "Pleasure to meet you, Harry!" 

"You too…?", he stood in bewilderment as they shook his hand in turn. 

Already, the boy could see that Hedwig's stories concerning the twins weren't exaggerated. He could understand her exasperation better now. But these really truly  _ were _ the Weasleys. Which meant… 

"If you're Fred and George…", he turned to the other Weasley, "You're… Ron?" 

Ronald Weasley cleared his throat in slight embarrassment, "Yes. I- How did you know?" 

"Hedwig", he explained with a nervous smile, "We're both first years", he suddenly remembered the others with him, "Oh, this is Hermione and Neville. We're looking for his toad, Trevor. He apparently likes to run away. Want to help?" 

Fred and George bowed out, wanting to stay with their friend. Ron looked between them all with uncertainty, eyed the twins with suspicion and apprehension, before agreeing. Mostly to get away from his brothers, probably. That didn't matter. Harry wanted to know him better in person, not just through stories. 

And so the four soon to be Hogwarts students went to the bathrooms and started looking for a toad. Hermione was a little shyer with conversation now, especially with Ron, but Harry managed to thread on comfortable waters with Hedwig's help. Neville was nearly silent but opened up once again when they went over the description of Trevor and Ron brought up his 'useless rat'. 

Hedwig was oddly apprehensive of the rat. Harry didn't comment on it but it was strange how many looks she gave in its direction. Not that anyone noticed. Least of all the rat. 

They went into the restrooms, Hermione searching the girls' side alone, and were a little disappointed when they couldn't find Trevor there either. That is, until Hermione let out a yelp that made Harry rush out to see the toad hopping out of the girls' toilet. 

"It's here!", he yelled but stopped short when Hedwig leapt from his shoulder and descended on the toad. 

For a moment he feared she'd kill him. But then she just lifted the animal up gently in one of her legs, watching it squirm and settle down. Then she hooted for Harry to come get him. He did so slowly and kept the toad firmly in his grasp as he handed it over to a thankful Neville. 

"T- Thanks!" 

"It was nothing, really", Harry said, awkward. 

All four children looked at each other, a little lost. Hedwig hopped onto Harry's shoulder once again, nuzzling his head in support. He looked to everyone in turn, contemplative. 

"Do you guys want to sit together?" 

He was extraordinarily relieved when they all said yes. And so, there weren't two but four children in the compartment, talking about this and that while learning social interaction. Hedwig was satisfied and intervened, or had Harry intervene, when they strayed into conflicts or were leaving Neville out of the conversation. 

It was fun, it was new, and friendships would be born. 

xXXx

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I got this thing done. Hopefully you enjoyed it! I've no idea when the next chapter is coming out. There's just too many to say and I've already picked one in particular to focus on. All the others are basically side projects I like to write when inspiration hits. 
> 
> People who read them are actually the ones who sometimes remind me they exist, so thank you for that! 
> 
> See you somewhere if you're reading the Cycles and maybe you'll stumble upon my non-Cycle stories somewhere if you don't. This is me, signing out of this fic for now. Bye!

**Author's Note:**

> Art for this fic by me:  
> https://elynthie.tumblr.com/post/617930521593380865/ive-basically-got-this-harry-potter-fanfic-where 
> 
> There now exists a CHRONOLOGICAL CYCLE LIST with LINKS! It's the 3rd chapter in ETERNAL CYCLE: MINDSCAPE which is the 20th fic in this series.


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